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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mug — a face
  4. content — happy
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — the season
  7. press — a publisher
  8. net — after costs
  9. spring — of water
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. press — to push
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. spring — a coil
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. content — the amount
  18. net — for catching
  19. mug — to rob
  20. mug — a cup
  21. net — in sport
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com